Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-05-14
MEXICAN MANNERS.
CHARACTERISTIC GESTURES AND
GALLANTRiES OF THE PEOPLE,

CHARACTERISTIC GESTURES AND
GALLANTRlEs OF THE PEOPLE.
Peculiar Method Of Struggling the Shout.
ders-How Wealth IL Indicated-A Sign
of Greeting-Hand shakfng-A Fare
weIl-Clapping the Hands.
The Mexicans are adopts ct expressing
themselves by means Of signs and gestures,
and many Of them exhibit . courtly grace
and profound gallantry which, il amusing
to foreigner, is also worthy Of admiration.
A lady who has Travelled in all parts Of the
republic and made study Of these national
pecuiiarities recently described them to your
correspondent, and many Of her observations
were very interesting. She said:
"When any one falls down it is customary
to call out: Come here and I'll pick you Up, :
or to express the same sentiment by gest-
ure. The hand Is held up vertically, palm
outward, about level with the face. The
fingers are then bent down rapidly and in the
direction Of the person addressed, the motion
being directly the reverse of reckoning. Toss
ing the chin upward does not imply annoy
ance, as in most countries, or simply no, as in
many European countries. 1t is simply IN
equivalent in Mexico for what do you
wantr or 4 don't understand Foreigners
who try to rid themselves Of the importuni-
ti., Of beggars by this signal, naturally in
CREASE their trials rather than bring them to
3 speedy termination.
The Mexican of pnfinement has q very Pc
ruliar method of struggling his shoulders He
raises his shoulders slightly, stretches his
arms down at his sides, hands open and
palms out, places his head a trifle on one side,
uplifts his eyebrows and pulls his mouth
down at the corners. These elaborate mo
tons signify doubt, uncertainty, difference
of opinion or i told you So This is the fash
ionable manner; of expressing triumph on be-
ing proved correct in regard to prophecy or
an argument.
INDICATIONS OF WEALTH
Instead of tapping the pocket to Indicate
money or its influence. the Mexican holds up
his thumb and forefinger, curved as if en-
circling coin. The token or threat of cor
poral punishment is slight, lateral, hori-
zontal movement of the hand, similar to the
turn it takes in the act of beating eggs with
fork. The phrase a screw loose is illus
trated by a boring motion of the index
uiJr,eT siSdiESb tLH tSiilDlc, l1ufCdtlItg DOC
TN alteration of the mind, as with Amer
leans, but &c the temper. When a Mexican
wishes To denote a lot of people he brings to-
gether the tips of all the fingers of one hand,
to represent crowding. The first time ever
saw this gesture-the holding up of the hand
vertically, and thrusting it forward two or
three times with repellant or protesting mo-
tfon-was at a party, where lady who had
held another's fan during a dance offered to
return it, when the owner, seeing that her
friend was using the little implement of
challenge, insisted that she retain it. Not
word was spoken--the hand said it ALL The
same gesture is used to imply: Keep your
seat DO not disturb yourself, and the like.
aThere is a sign of greeting used in the
City Of Mexico and the southern part of the
republic that l have never seen in the north
nor on the western slope, where the bow still
rules. At the capital an acquaintance,
whether gentleman or lady, in saluting one of
either sex, lifts the open hand, palm toward
ones self, and waves the fingers, or often
only the two middle ones 1t rather startles
a foreigner at first, but it is really very
pretty and graceful mode of greeting. l have
observed that it is most used when saluting
from little distance, as across the street,
and it 10 doubt came into use because of the
density of traffic, in which the bow might
pass unperceived.
"The Mexicans are very much given to
hand shaking, and they are eminently a
friendly and cordial race. 1t is the fashion
among Americans to call their politeness
superficial and insincere. l have not found if
so, but l do admit that its formality is ut
times little inconvenient For instance,
when one is in haste to catch train or meet
an appointment, one cannot rush away with
a hasty Sc long 1t would violate the con-
ventionalities TO depart without exchanging
the customary elaborate faYewells with each
individual member of the circle. Then in
passing through door, there is almost In
variably contest of courtesy as to who shall
60 first.
FAREWELL DEMONSTRATION
THE proper demonstration of farewell be-
tween Mexican women is the light embrace,
emphasized in the north by each patting with
her right hand the others shoulder; in the
City of Mexico and thereabouts by kiss on
either cheek. Between women and men, a
bow and handshake, or the bow alone, is
the correct thing, although In the interior the
provincials employ at meeting and parting q
modified form of the embrace, between per-
sons of the opposite as well as of the sans
sex. More than once my breath has been
taken away by handsome young hacendado
meeting me literally with open arms. To my
mind there is nothing prettier than this EN-
brace, and the warm heared palmadita, or
pat Oh the back, between two men who are
friends, particularly between an old man and
young man.
"Handclapping is very common in Mexico,
and in its oriental sense of summoning. II is
difficult to account for all the peculiarities Of
Mexicans in the matter Of gestures and man.
ners Some Of their excessive gallantry Is
evidently a copy from, and improvement on,
tho French, and this handclapping is clearly
derived from the Moors through the Span
iards. 1t is recognized as call all over the
republic, although about the national capital
it has been pretty well supplanted by pecu-
liar, disagreeable sound-pstt-l which always
sets my teeth on edge. i believe this about
exhausts the gestures OF general usage; Of
course there are infinitely numerous signs Of
special and arbitrary significance. The Mex
leans, as q rule, are adopts at expression by
this means
"As have already touched on motions and
manifestations not strictly to be classed as
gestures, l might strain point and put in the
general list the performance which, from its
ursine regularity and monotony, is known as
hacienda el go, or. playing the bear and
which means the fixed promenade OF an en-
amoresi youth over a short beat. before or
beneath the window OF the adorei object, IN
which he spends as many hours day as his
leisure win permit. Cor. Globe Democrsf
Ore Discovered by Electricity.
Leadville is excited over a new electric in
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